# really stupid stuff you can't do **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 22, 2000, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787 "2000-12-22T00:41:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/1 "2000-12-22T00:41:32Z")
My wife, bless her soul, can’t whistle. I can whistle any song ever written, using various techniques: the traditional “round mouth” way, the lesser-known “inhale under the tongue” method, the “fingers in the mouth” method, and so on. Myself, I can’t do the Star Trek Vulcan peace sign (where you separate your first two fingers from your ring finger and pinky finger. I’ve NEVER seen an episode of Star Trek, but I’ve seen the sign…). I know HOW it’s done; it’s just that my finger will NOT DO THE MOTION. What are some pointless, useless things that you still feel bad that you can’t do, just because other people can? ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/2 "2000-12-22T00:44:32Z")
Damn. I read the title, hadn’t even gotten to the OP and thought, “whistle”. It isn’t for lack of trying, either; tried every method known, in childhood and beyond. Still just can’t damned _do_ it! Veb ---
**Author:** ![Wicked\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/2acd7d/32.png) [@Wicked\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wicked_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/3 "2000-12-22T01:16:05Z")
I can’t snap my fingers. It looks so damn easy, but I could never do it. ---
**Author:** ![Totoro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Totoro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Totoro)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/4 "2000-12-22T01:21:19Z")
I always wanted to bend my thumb back far enough to touch my wrist. I tried, lord knows I tried… ---
**Author:** ![Welfy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e56c9b/32.png) [@Welfy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Welfy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/5 "2000-12-22T01:27:45Z")
I can’t do a cartwheel. I can’t touch my toes. ---
**Author:** ![Osip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4491bb/32.png) [@Osip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Osip)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/6 "2000-12-22T01:33:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wicked Blue \* > \*\*I can’t snap my fingers. > It looks so damn easy, but I could never do it. \*\* Wow, not snapping your fingers sucks. Nothing I enjoy more than snapping my fingers yelling “fix me a chicken pot-pie” of course I live alone and the dogs refuse to cook, but it mindless entertainment. Osip ---
**Author:** ![That\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e79b87/32.png) [@That\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/7 "2000-12-22T01:36:00Z")
I can start to sing the national anthem in public and then forget the words. How stupid is that? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Uniball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Uniball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniball)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/8 "2000-12-22T01:36:16Z")
I’m completely unable to see the hidden images in those 3-D weird graphics that were a must some years ago. There’s one of those forgethisnames in **Mallrats**. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/9 "2000-12-22T01:53:32Z")
I can’t roll my tongue. ☹ But I can whistle, with my mouth and with my fingers in my mouth! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![hypergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/49beb7/32.png) [@hypergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hypergirl)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/10 "2000-12-22T03:55:24Z")
Up until around last year I couldn’t snap my fingers. Then I magically became able to after watching Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreacoat. It was odd. ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/11 "2000-12-22T04:05:15Z")
I can’t do [this](http://members.home.net/cattywompus/cam/squish.jpg) in the opposite direction. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Bones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ba8739/32.png) [@No\_Bones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Bones)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/12 "2000-12-22T04:17:30Z")
I can’t whistle either, but mostly I can’t do anything with my left hand. It’s got a problem and I can’t open door knobs or much more than hold a fork with the wrong grip. Since it looks almost ok people think I’m be lazy when I say “could you get the door?” but I don’t want to explain and then have to face it all the time. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/13 "2000-12-22T04:18:13Z")
Uniball - Those were “stereograms”. Here’s how they worked: you focused your eyes on two dots at the top of the pages, gradually unfocused your eyes until the dots appeared to meet, then looked back at the stereogram. Or so I’ve heard, because I’ve never, ever gotten one of the goddam things to work either. And I tried, man, I tried. Oh yeah, I can’t whistle or snap my fingers either. ---
**Author:** ![Uniball](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Uniball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniball)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/14 "2000-12-22T05:16:11Z")
I tried EVERYTHING, including the damn dots, to no avail. I’m stereogram-blind. ---
**Author:** ![Ace\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Ace\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace_Face)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/15 "2000-12-22T05:17:37Z")
I can’t… (uh oh, childhood-based neuroses welling up inside me) … blow bubblegum bubbles. I’m sure it’s easy and I could do it nowadays, but at some point when I was a child I just gave up and told everyone that I _hated_ the taste of gum (not true). Haven’t tried it in years! ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/16 "2000-12-22T06:13:41Z")
I can’t see the stereograms either. I can’t whistle really loud with my fingers in my mouth. I can’t split wood, even kindling. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/17 "2000-12-22T11:19:00Z")
Can’t see stereograms. Can’t do a cartwheel. ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/18 "2000-12-22T11:30:31Z")
Hey, the stereogram inability is a good one; I had the same thing happen. Also, when I’ve tried to watch a 3D movie (or watch the 3D graphics on Kiss’s “Psycho Circus” tour), that doesn’t work either. Maybe my eyes are just screwed up. ---
**Author:** ![stofsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/19 "2000-12-22T12:00:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Boscibo \* > \*\*I can’t roll my tongue. ☹ > \*\* Not from lack of talent: that’s a genetic trait. IIRC, recessive. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2000, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787/20 "2000-12-22T12:02:18Z")
I cannot, for the life of me, roll my R’s. I cannot make the ‘Donald Duck’ voice. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/really-stupid-stuff-you-cant-do/46787.md?page=2)